Captain’s Column

Navy Marine Corps Relief Society recently recognized local personnel, leadership, key-workers and volunteers for their remarkable assistance during this year’s fund drive.

This year’s objectives were to spread the word as to the support the society can provide and also to raise funds which enable that support. This year, we exceeded expectations because of the hard work of the key-workers and volunteers. They hustled and reached out to everyone.

That hustle enabled NAS Corpus Christi and its tenant commands to raise $47,075 during this year’s fund drive, more than double what was raised last year.

ABHC Carlo Abalos, of Air Operations, served as the area coordinator spearheading the fund raising efforts and was recognized with the Outstanding Leadership Award for his efforts.

Some of the other superlatives of this year’s drive include: Navy Operational Support Center Corpus Christi being noted for “Highest Per Capita,” with 100 percent contact and 100 percent contributions; “Most Improved,” Training Squadron 31; “Highest Contribution,” NAS Corpus Christi; and first runner-up, Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi.

As we know, the Society will ‘swoop’ in and support someone in their time of need, whether it is money for car repairs or replacement of basic necessities such as those given to survivors of USS McCain and Fitzgerald. Any amount of support is crucial to the Society helping those in need, so giving even a few dollars is beneficial. All the money raised goes directly to Sailors and Marines.

Founded in 1904, NMCRS is a private, non-profit charitable organization. In addition to financial support, the Society also provides visiting nurse services, thrift shops, budget counseling, infant layettes, and educational scholarships and loans.

For more than 110 years, NMCRS’s efforts have improved the quality of life for active-duty and retired Sailors, Marines and their families. Their assistance has supported survivors living on limited fixed income, young parents dealing with the increase in expenses a child brings to the family, families dealing with costs associated with the death of a loved one, families displaced by natural disasters, and those who are simply unable to make ends meet in an unstable economy.

The NMCRS is a dedicated staff with exceptional volunteers. We are very fortunate to have the dedicated volunteers here at NASCC that we do. I can’t thank them enough for the hard work they do every day.

I also want to thank all the individuals who made such generous donations. No matter the size of the gift, you can be assured that your money will directly support a fellow Sailor or Marine. Finally, I want to personally thank the men and women who took on the extra duty to run such a successful fund drive.

Key-workers include:

ABHC Carlo Abalos, coordinator; AC1 Patrick Kiger, assistant coordinator; BM2 Victor Cerda, of Admin Department; RP2 Steven Riggert, Chaplains Dept.; RP1 Michael Clayton, Chaplains Dept.; ABH2 Tiffany Davenport, Air Operations; AC2 Elizabeth Bequerengm, Air Operations; Ensign Peter Schmillen, Public Works; LS1 Corey Brumley, NAVSUP Fleet Logistics; LN2 Tylice McKenzie, Legal Office; AO2 David Arthur, Naval Munitions Command; QM3 Mariah Winn, Emergency Management; MAC Jermaine Glover, Security Dept.; MA1 Stahis Guzman, Security Dept.; Lt. Cmdr. Ansel Cox, Chief of Naval Air Training; YN1 Terry Hunt, CNATRA; CS1 Joseph Arthur, CNATRA; 2nd Lt. Zachary Lawhorn, Marine Aviation Training Support Group 22; 1st Lt. Maxwell Lieb, MATSG-22; LS1 Luis Sandoval, NOSC Corpus Christi; CS1 Patricia Fernandez, NOSC Corpus Christi; HMC Larry Pon, Naval Health Clinic Corpus Christi; LSC Eduardo Hernandez, Training Air Wing Four; Lt. Daniel Moczygemba, Training Squadron 27; Lt. Daniel Hoff, VT-27; Lt. Wesley Hamann, VT-28; Lt. David Foy, VT-28; Lt. Michael Dickson, VT-31; Lt. Cmdr. Ryan Broderick, VT-31; and Lt. Joshua Archer, VT-35.